Ordnance mount



April 1942- A. P. DE SEVERSKY 2,280,804

ORDNANCE MOUNT Filed March 5, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I 98 INVENTOR law Z jnhz 7% ATTORNEY,

April 1942- A. P. DE- SEVERSKY 2,280,804

ORDNANCE MOUNT Filed March 5, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 2a Y/VIIIIIM III/111151111114 24; ATTORNEY April 28, '1942.

Filed March 5, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 4 INAQiNTORZ j 7 1/ ATTORNEY.

Patented :Apr. 28,1942

ORDNANCE MOUNT Alexander P. de Seversky, Northport, N. Y., assignor to Republic Aviation Corporation, a cornotation of Delaware 5 Claims. (Cl. 89 37-5) Figure 1, showing one component in alternative positions;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional detail taken along line 33 f Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary top plan taken along line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a side elevation of an alternate form r of the invention:

training and elevating operations, so that the gunsights and the eye of the guhner can be maintained in alignment without re-adjustment regardless of the many rapid changes of the position of the objective occurring during aerial gunnery. The gunnercan remain seated and nonetheless bring his sighting-line to bear on a new target, located in a widely divergent zone from a previous target, without the necessity for realigning his eye with the gun-sights.

A particular. object is to provide means for counterbalancing the weight of the gun and carriage in order to render the forces required for training and elevatingeven a heavy gun, exceptionally small, and to accomplish this in such a manner as to thereby provide convenient means for supporting and carrying the gunner, along with the gun, on the counterbalance.

Another partic'ular object of the invention is to provide a gun-mount which will carry a gunner seated facing aft, yet whereby the gunner may on occasion act asthe pilot without moving from h s seat or even loosening his safety belt.

A further particular object of the invention is to provide a single instrumentality which will be manipulatable by one hand for quickly releasing both the gun-carriage proper and the gunners carriage for Permitting both carriages to be simultaneously moved in unison to train the gun The truss ll bears an arm lll'which supports Figure 6 is an elevation view from the left of Figure 5, with the gun omitted, and

Figure '7 is a top plan view of this form.

In both exemplifying forms, the complete, unitary gun-mount is well adapted for inserting, bodily, as a unit in an after-cockpit of a military airplane, replacing the usual seat thereof but not interfering with the piloting controls, or other equipment. It canalso be built in with initial framework in building a new airplane;

In the form of execution shown in Figures 1-4, inclusive, the structure comprises a circular track I0, attachable, as by means of suitable brackets (not shown), in the upper part of the cockpit opening near the covering thereof.- The track is shown as made of metal of I-sectional shape. Arcuate rolling-blocks, or carriages, l2, one on each side of the track, and each provided with upper and lower sets of rollers l3, fit the curve I. pivot-group 14, each carry arms l5. At the upper inner end of each arm l5, as shown in Figure 3, is rigidly attached a bowed truss, I1, and

at the lower end of each arm I5 is rigidly attached a seat-group suspending member, E6. the gun-group proper.

A ring-member ll encircles the outer recess, of

track l0, and, being rigidly attached to the members I2, is supported thereby for rotation therewith around the outside circumference of the track In. Spaced substantially on the center of thearc of the ring II which is subtended by the yoke of wlhch I6 is a part, is a lock-group 20, comprising a handle 2| pivotally mounted on a bracket 2| in. turn mounted for lateral pivoting on a .bolt 23, the bracket 2| having a finger 22 extending vertically from its rear face. Blocks and 9| are mounted in the bracket, block. 9| being integral with ring ll. Block 90 bears two rollers 90' and two bellcranks, 24 and 25, adapted to be engaged, one or the other,-by the finger 22. It also bears a spring-loaded pin 26 adapted to engage in one at a time of a plurality of apertures 9 in the web of the track. On moving the handle into or out of the plane of the paper, one;

of the bellcranks engages 2. lug 95 on pin 26 and withdraws the pin from the aperture in the track, leaving the ring ll, carrying the gun yoke unitary with the seat-yoke, free to be rotated around the track for training the gun while.

member leading to a difierent side of the doubleyoke swinging unit.

A locking pin 39 is provided on a. bracket 98 depending from, but rigid with each side of the ring ll. A bracket 91, arcuate in outline, is provided on one face, with a plurality of apertures 98. The bracket 97 is integral with the post l6. The handle is adapted to be pulled rearwardly, pivoting about bolt 2'5, and the outer upper end of the handle is connected, by means of a flexible tensile member 28, here shown as a cable, to actuate a bell-crank 29 pivoted on the member 96. The pin 30 is spring-loaded, and bears a lug 29' on its upper end. The arcuate face of bracket 91 has a sufi cient extent, and number of apertures, to permit the seat-gun unit to be locked in any desired reasonable position of elevation. Due to the unitary nature of the gunyoke II and the seat yoke 98, etc., the weight of the gun is counterbalanced by the weight of the seat, and thus the force required to change the elevation of the gun or gun-mount proper, will be quite small, making for ease, rapidity, and accuracy in elevating.

Inside members B6 are vertically slidably mounted members 32, which carry the seat-yoke proper, 32'. A headed lever, 33, is pivoted on one of the members l6,and carries a lug 35. The members 32 are provided with a plurality of apertures 32", and the members 85 each bear a spring-loaded plunger 35', having a lug 35", and adapted to engage in the apertures 32". An

' endless elastic member 36 is led over pulleys 365 under tension, and when the lever 33 is raised so that lug 35 engages against lug 35" and urges plunger 35' out of an aperture 32", the unit 32-32, carrying the seat, is raised upwardly until the plunger 35' engages in another and higher aperture 532". To lower the seat, in order to accommodate a taller gunner, the plunger 35' is disengaged from an aperture 32'', whereupon the mere weight of the gunner will depress the unit 22-32 until he engages the plunger 35', with another and lower aperture.

around without necessitating his standing up, and then the gunner propels the seat around 180, on the pivot 44 by means of applying his feet against the deck while still seated.

The gun arm I8 is pivoted at l8 to the truss H, and the truss bears a thumb-hook 41 pivoted thereto as shown in Figure 1. When it is desired to stow the gun in the turtle-deck canopy covering the aft-part of the gunners cockpit, hook 41 is released from engagement with arm l8, and the arm, carrying the gun, can then be lowered into a gun-cradle, not shown, in the aft part of the cockpit, substantially in the depressed position shown in Figure 1.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7, H9 is a circular track of I-section attached to stringers forming a part of the fuselage, and on which track ride arcuate carriages H2 bearing rollers similar to the carriages l2. Pivoted to the carriages at flit are members H5 rigidly carrying members l 86, which carry a curvilinear, trussed gun-yoke ill, said members H5 being unitary with members H6 which are seat unit suspending members. The yoke H1 bears an arm iiapivoted thereto at H8, and the arm bears a gun-socket 200 for a machinegun, as shown. A ring l H encircles the outer I recess of the track H9 and is supported thereon Both members it bear spring loaded plungers 35'. These plungers are connected by a. cable 31, which is in turn connected to lever 33, so that when lever 33 is actuated, both the plungers 35' will be operated in unison.

The gunners seat M is mounted on a pivoted or swivelled post 44. The post M1 is carried on a horizontal frame 98 by a thrust bearing 39. The frame 98 is adapted to slide from sideto side on rollers 49 riding on the guide track 52. Frame 98 bears a latch handle 43 to operate detents 50 and 5! which cooperate with slots in the seat and guide track. Whenever the gunner is to act as pilot the latch 43 is released, the seat is slid to one side on the guide track, as shown dotted in Fig. 2, in order to give room in .the cockpit to allow the glmners legs to be brought for rotation therearound by means of the lock-' ing member 520 and carriages H2, etc., being rigidly attached to the carriages.

A lock-group E29, somewhat similar to the lock it, is unitary with the ring III and is adapted to revolve around track H0 in a similar manner. The lock i2il controls the movability of the gunseat unit around a vertical axis through a plunger and finger combination somewhat similar to that of Figure 3, and handle l2l operates a cable H28 actuating a pin-and-apertured arc arrangement I30, lSl similar to that of Figure 3, to control the elevatibility of the gun-seat unit.

A seat yoke L32 is sildably mounted in members H6, which bears a, seat, MI. The yoke is lockable in any desired position of elevation, to suit gunners of difierent heights, by meansof a unit similar to that illustrated in Figure 3 at 33, 35, 39' and 35".

The seat can be rotated, with the gunner seated in it, in order to permit the gunner to take over the piloting. A back-rest 299 is provided for leaning against when firing with the gun elevated at high angles.

By releasing a thumb-hook M1, the gun-arm, carrying the gun, can be lowered to a depressed position and be stowed out of the way in a guncradle (not shown) in the after part of the fuselage.

It is to be observed that, in both embodiments, to fire, the gunner usually faces the empennageregion; to take over piloting, as when the regular pilot becomes disabled in combat, the gunner can swivel around while still seated by merely pushing on the floor with his feet. In both embodiments, the gun-mount proper and the seat move as a single unit, and the weight of the empty gun,.etc., is perfectly balanced by the weight of the empty seat, etc. In both embodiments, means are provided for accommodating a gunner of any height. The gun'can be stowed out of the way, when not desired, in the rear upper part of the fuselage, so that the rearmost, turtledeck canopy can be closed.

It is to be understood that the foregoing specific constructions are contemplated as being modifiable in any form within the scope of the sub-joined claims.

Having now disclosed my invention in such manner as to enable anyone skilled in the art to make and use same, what I claim as my property and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is: t

1. An ordnance mount for dual-control aircraft comprising a horizontal track adapted to be stationarily supported upon the fuselage of the aircraft, a carriage supported for rotation upon said track about a vertical axis, arms extending downwardly from opposite sides of said carriage, a cross-member extending between said arms and having its ends slidably engaging said arms, a seat supported upon said cross-member for rotation about a vertical axis, said seat normally facing aft of the aircraft, resilient means connecting said cross-member with said arms for yieldingly supporting the seat and means for laterally adjusting the position of said seat with respect to the cross-member when the seat is rotated to face forwardly of the aircraft.

2. An ordnance mount for dual-control aircraft comprising a horizontal track adapted to be stationarily supported upon the fuselage of the aircraft, a carriage supported for rotation upon said track about a vertical axis, arms extending downwardly from opposite sides of said carriage, a cross-member extending between said arms and having its ends slidably engaging said arms, a seat supported upon said cross-member for rotation about a vertical axis, said seat normally facing aft of the aircraft, resilient means connecting said cross-member with said arms for yieldingly supporting the seat, means for laterally adjusting the position of said seat with respect to the cross-member when the seat is rotated to face forwardly of the aircraft, the arms of said carriage and the ends of the crossmember being telescopically connected, and means for locking the cross-member in vertically adjusted position.

3. An ordnance mount comprising a circular track adapted to be stationarily supported upon the fuselage of an aircraft in a generally horizontal plane, a ring encircling and supported for rotation about a vertical axis upon said track, a generally U-shaped yoke having upright arms pivotally connected to said ring for adjustment of the yoke about a horizontal axis, a seat positioned adjacent the lower end of said yoke, a firearm-supporting member rigidly connected to said upright arms for supporting a firearm in operative firing position with respect to a gun' ner occupying the seat, a spring-pressed pin a for latching said yoke in positions of angular means mechanically connecting said bracket and lever with said pins for withdrawing said pins either independently or simultaneously.

4. In an ordnance mount, a track, a ring encircling and rotatably supported upon said track for movement about a vertical axis, a yoke pivotally suspended from said ring for movement about a horizontalaxis, a gunners seat carried by said yoke, means connecting said seat to the yoke for rotation about a vertical axis and for lateral shifting movement of the seat with respect to said yoke.

5. An ordnance mount comprising a track, a

carriage supported for rotation upon said track about a vertical axis, a yoke pivotally suspended from said carriage for movement about a horizontal axis, a firearm and a gunners seat carried by said yoke, and means for varying the position of the gunners seat about a vertical axis and laterally with respect to the yoke.

ALEXANDER P. on SEVERSKY. 

